Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10KOLKATA11
2010-01-15 11:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Kolkata
Cable title:  

CONFIRMED OUTBREAK OF AVIAN INFLUENZA H5N1 IN WEST BENGAL

Tags:  EAGR SENV CASC PGOV AMED KFLU IN 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8935
RR RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHNEH
DE RUEHCI #0011 0151116
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151116Z JAN 10
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2534
INFO RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2437
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 1033
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 1036
RUEHNEH/AMCONSUL HYDERABAD 0099
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0647
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 0238
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 3164
UNCLAS KOLKATA 000011 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
STATE PASS TO USAID
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/IHB, SCA/INSB, STAS, AIAG
HHS PASS TO OGHA (KULIKOWSKI/CUMMINGS)
HHS FOR NIH/FIC (GLASS/MAMPILLY/HANDLEY)
HHS FOR FDA (LUMPKIN/VALDEZ)
HHS FOR CDC (BLOUNT/COX)
USDA FOR APHIS (FLEMING/BURLESON)
USDA FOR FAS (FERUS/BEAN)
NEW DELHI FOR FAS/APHIS
BANGKOK FOR USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR SENV CASC PGOV AMED KFLU IN
SUBJECT: CONFIRMED OUTBREAK OF AVIAN INFLUENZA H5N1 IN WEST BENGAL

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000011

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
STATE PASS TO USAID
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/IHB, SCA/INSB, STAS, AIAG
HHS PASS TO OGHA (KULIKOWSKI/CUMMINGS)
HHS FOR NIH/FIC (GLASS/MAMPILLY/HANDLEY)
HHS FOR FDA (LUMPKIN/VALDEZ)
HHS FOR CDC (BLOUNT/COX)
USDA FOR APHIS (FLEMING/BURLESON)
USDA FOR FAS (FERUS/BEAN)
NEW DELHI FOR FAS/APHIS
BANGKOK FOR USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR SENV CASC PGOV AMED KFLU IN
SUBJECT: CONFIRMED OUTBREAK OF AVIAN INFLUENZA H5N1 IN WEST BENGAL


1. (U) On January 14 the Indian central government's High
Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal confirmed the
presence of avian influenza and the H5N1 virus in samples taken
from the village of Khargram, West Bengal. The outbreak's
epicenter is in the district of Murshidabad located
approximately 230 km north of Kolkata and 60 km west of the
India-Bangladesh international border. It is the country's
first H5N1 confirmation of the winter avian influenza "season"
and takes place less than three months after the country had
declared itself free of avian influenza on October 22, 2009. In
2008 Khargram had one confirmed avian influenza outbreak.




2. (U) The state's director for Animal Resource
Development (ARD),onsite in Khargram, told PolFSN
telephonically that rapid response teams began culling
operations on January 14. Over the next three days the teams
plan to cull more than 62,000 poultry and ducks in the 21
villages within the 3 km radius. The state government is
following central government guidelines on culling compensation.
According to the director, villagers have been cooperative in
the culling operation and district officials and police are
enforcing a ban on poultry movement in the area. The director
reported an adequate supply of protective gear and medicine.




3. (SBU) Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture
expressed concern to EmbOFF about the impact of a fresh outbreak
on poultry operations in India, given the economic impact of
past outbreaks. However, they were confident about the central
and state government's ability to manage the outbreak due to its
extensive experiences in the past. They are optimistic that no
new trade restrictions on commercial poultry or egg exports will
materialize as the majority of importers understand that an
overwhelming majority of exports come from the southern part of
the country far from the outbreak in West Bengal. The central
government veterinary authorities are in discussion with
domestic commercial poultry operators about possible
compartmentalization against avian influenza outbreaks to
prevent trade disruption, but these talks have yet to come to a
conclusion and may take some time yet to work.




4. (U) The current avian influenza episode takes place at a
time when the West Bengal state government was already working
with the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Office on a USAID
funded project to train and sensitive ARD personnel about
India-Bangladesh cross-border traffic and its impact on the
spread of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus.

PAYNE